


bleeding out for you (bringing you down if it's the last thing i do)

by Dusty_Skyes



Series: Land, Sea, and Sky [12]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU - Everyone lives, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Spoilers, accidental magic, dude link control your teleporting, i never said this was taken seriously, link is kinda thirsty, link please don't pull a teba, misuse of teleportation, one is bad enough, vs. calamity ganon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 22:16:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10500537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty_Skyes/pseuds/Dusty_Skyes
Summary: It begins when the Hero draws the blade that seals the darkness.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Well. This is spoilery, so if you don't want to read it until after you beat the game, then that's okay. Other than Link being thirsty for Revali and Sidon, you won't be missing much. 
> 
> Title comes from the song "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons.

     It begins when the Hero draws the blade that seals the darkness. He slowly draws it from the stone and stares at the handle, then lifts it up, points it towards the sky, and feels the rush of power that curls through his bones. Spinning it expertly, he slides it into place in the sheath on his back. “That,” the Great Deku Tree rumbles behind him, “is the Master Sword. When used against Ganon or those tainted with his Malice, it will become suffused with a holy light...”

     Link turns to face it with a nod, the crystal at his throat glowing faintly in time with his heartbeat. At his back, the Master Sword joins the rhythm, pulsing with the beat. The Great Deku Tree eyes the crystal silently, and then sighs. “I sense that you were corrupted once,” it murmurs, “but no longer. The sea purified you with her power. Now that the crystal holds the sea's power, you cannot be corrupted anymore. The crystal at your throat will fight it off. Perhaps, with due time, you may even be able to use the same abilities that as you did when you were corrupted.”

     He vaguely recalls being a massive wolf, and the teleportation via squares of purplish magic. Once, long, long ago, the Knight was mute by choice. Now he is permanently silenced; the crystal has frozen the vocal chords in his throat. And so, Link nods, then motions for the Great Deku Tree to go on. “Impatient as ever, I see. Very well. If used against those tainted, the true power of the sword will manifest...but be warned. Do not rely too much on its power. If you use it without need, its power will be exhausted and it will no longer be of any use to you.” It rumbles faintly, then closes its eyes and falls silent.

     For a moment, Link considers the sword on his back, then switches it out for the recreation of his favorite spear. He used to wield one like this back when they were traveling from village to village collecting and assigning Champions to their Divine Beast, but it had been broken only a few months later. That was when Link had gone and collected the Master Sword the first time.

     (Amusingly enough, since the other Champions had never seen his favorite weapon, he'd gotten the oddest look from Daruk when he'd asked the other to reforge it for him. 'Humor me,' he'd signed when the Goron asked if he certain that he really wanted this. 'Just humor me.' In the end, Daruk did forge it, and for that Link is grateful.)

     He spins Seven Strike and sets it back into place, crossed diagonally across his back so he can run without catching the six foot tall weapon on anything, and sets off. It's a weapon he's proud of, one he personally designed himself. It's about half a foot taller than he is, and could technically be considered a duel-ended axe. On one end is a tri-pointed cross, each blade nearly a foot long and razor-sharp and definitely not touchable. The other is a massive, blade-like axe, one side curving out into something sharp, deadly, and probably capable of taking someone's head off with one swing.

     If Link is being honest with himself, he could really do with a fight right now. Something, anything to distract his mind.

(The more he fights, the less he thinks of how amazing Revali and Sidon really are.

He's smitten and he knows it.)

**oOo**

     When Link returns to the Zora's Domain, the four Champions are waiting for him. “Well?” Revali demands, just as imperious as ever, and Link rolls his eyes upwards in a sort of fond exasperation. He removes the Master Sword and its sheath from his bag, lips twitching upwards when the others look relieved.

     “Good,” Urbosa says. “Now, you know the plan!”

     Mipha nods. “Everyone to their Divine Beast! We're going to take that Calamity down.”

     Kass, who has been listening quietly up to this point, finally says, flatly, “What?”

     Daruk snorts. “We're going to attack Ganon from afar so he can't corrupt us. Each Divine Beast has a long range laser that will do some nasty damage,” he informs the Rito. “You stay here. We'll be back before you know it.” He pulls out something and taps on the screen, then vanishes into thin lines of blue-white light. Mipha turns towards Vah Ruta, visible even at this distance, and disappears.

     Urbosa is the next to go, merely fading into red fire. Revali snorts and leaps upwards, flickering out of view within a few seconds. Only then does Link leave, tapping the closest Shrine to the castle. He's eternally thankful to the four Champions for taking the Sheikah Slate and filling in as many parts of the map as possible.

     Even as he lands near the outside of the Sanctum, Link glances up in time to see the four Divine Beasts come to life. Vah Ruta makes its way up to a nearby hill and extends its tusks, a bright light forming at the glowing ends. Vah Medoh shrieks as it carefully lands on the long overhang known only as Revali's Landing above the village, its own sight charging at the beak. Vah Naboris roars as its face-plates separate, perched on a mountain top that's far away from the Gerudo, and Vah Rudania bellows as its head splits open upon the edge of Death Mountain. Sight lines form, each aiming for a direct hit upon the beast within Hyrule Castle.

     Black and red and pink swirls around as it twists in the air around the castle, and Link takes the chance to slink past the Guardian nearby, dodge the corruption bubbling on the floor, and actually enter the Sanctum itself. He draws the Master Sword quietly, feels it pulse and howl at the sensation of being so close to darkness, and cautiously enters the center room of the palace. _I'm sorry, Link_ , the princess whispers. _I can't hold him anymore._ There seems to be some form of beating heart above him and it splits open, lasers ripping through the protection and the floor. Then it falls out, breaking through the already fragile ground and sending them crashing down below. 

     Ganon slams down into the floor far below them, sending up dust, and Link gasps, snapping open the paraglider and casually floating through the air. He touches down below and skid across the last few inches, cautiously watching the creature that nearly brought his end about the first time.

     Then the lasers charge, glowing bright and ominous in the sky, and fire pure blue light that rips the surrounding air into pieces as they scream through the sky and slam into the castle. The tunnel above them glows with light and Ganon looks up in time to get a face-full of laser. Link winces; that _had_ to hurt _._

     The Calamity _screams_ in pain and o n the floor in front of him, a scorpion-like beast uncurls. It snarls, already bleeding heavily, and the blond smirks, already in the process of leaping back and away from the fireballs the Calamity spits and watching smugly as they impact harmlessly against the floor.

     With a scream, its blade comes down, aiming at cutting straight through his waist, and Link leaps over it, landing daintily on the other side, already launching an arrow at its face. Ganon roars in fury once again, more flames curling around its form, and scurries up the nearest wall and out of Link's immediate reach. Several fireballs speed down, but Link is already leaping out of the way. He scowls and notches another arrow, remembers everything Revali has ever taught him, and catches the nearest updraft, loosing the arrow into Calamity Ganon's face.

     It roars and lunges at him, blade glowing bright in the darkness, and the blond hurls himself to the side, taking the chance to draw the Master Sword. The blade glows, purifies whatever it touches, and Link takes the chance to dart forward and slash at Ganon, ripping its flesh open wide.

     Corrupted blood spills across the floor, bubbling and hot and eating away at the surface beneath, and Link makes a sound of disgust and recoils away. Ganon rears up as best it can, a glowing blue spear appearing within its grasp, and before the blond can escape, it's hurled across the room with frightening speed. He shrieks and instinctively pushes magic through his form.

     Power bubbles up. The crystal at his throat flashes once, and the blond vanishes in purple squares of magic. He reappears across the field with a stumble, but manages to notch another arrow and fire it into the Calamity's face. Another swipe with its blade and Link tries again, but nothing answers his call and he is forced to skid underneath the blade. He's just thankful that the Divine Beasts used their lasers to cut Ganon's health down by half.

     Link leaps backwards in time to dodge a rather large fireball, and is quite startled when the squares surround him again, and he finds himself right underneath the Calamity's bare stomach. He snatches the Master Sword from its sheath and slams it upwards, trying his best to ignore the sizzling blood that spills over him and burns his skin.

     The Calamity screams in fury and explodes outward into a black and pink mist that _seethes_ and boils in the air of the chamber. For a moment it swirls in a circle, gathering its power, then writhes upwards towards the opening they had fallen through and vanishes. Link mouths all the curses he knows and darts forward, desperate in his need to follow Ganon out. He can't let the Corrupted one get away. 

     Purple squares fill his vision and when they clear he's out in Hyrule Field, a horse he'd made friends with while in the Zora's Domain beside him. It rears upwards at the sight of Ganon's Dark Beast Form, but calms when his hand brushes against its flank.  _This_ , Princess Zelda whispers in his ears as the glowing bow forms in front of him,  _is the Bow of Light. I entrust it to you. Calamity Ganon is the personification of hatred and malice that is reborn time and time again. He has given up reincarnation in favor of raw strength. If it gets free now, nothing would ever be able to stop it. Eliminate Calamity Ganon once and for all. Free us from its destructive power._

     He takes the bow of light gingerly and vaults onto his horse, urging it forward until he's thundering in a circle around Ganon's monstrous form. Whenever a glowing spot appears on the beast's flesh, he draws back an arrow and lets it loose, slamming a bolt of pure light into the Calamity's side. His horse springs forward, dodging and leaping, threading around gigantic hooves, and Link launches arrow after arrow, careful to not get too close. He's been lucky so far, if only because of his panicked, extremely accidental teleporting, but one mess up and it's all over.

     Ganon rears up, a bright laser forming between its tusks, and Link urges his steed into a full-on sprint. It zings by, close enough to sear the flesh on his cheek, and impacts the ground behind him, exploding in a massive ball of light. The Hylian glances at the wreckage and mouths a curse, very thankful that he hadn't been hit.

     If Link had gotten killed by that, Mipha would revive him just so she could wring his neck. Revali and the other Champions would do worse. He doesn't quite want to think about what Sidon or Princess Zelda would do.

     He nails one more glowing spot, then raises a single brow as a slim glowing line forms across the Calamity's forehead. The line wiggles, splits, then widens into an eyeball that blinks, its burning red stare glaring hatred and malice at his moving form. More than a little creeped and guessing that the weakness probably isn't going to remain open long, Link vaults off of his steed and, for once, manages to call upon the power to teleport on his own.

     Deep purple squares surround him and in an instant, he's above Ganon, the eye gleaming in the light. A single arrow is drawn back and Link releases it with satisfaction. As he falls towards the ground, he watches as the arrow sinks in deep, then snaps open his paraglider and drifts to safety. This should be interesting.

     It's very much a surprise when Princess Zelda is released from the eye, and she lands daintily on the grass before the Calamity. She radiates with power, the triforce glowing brightly on the back of her hand. Ganon roars and abandons his Dark Beast form at once, becoming little more than a screaming cloud of malice bound to a boar's head. Zelda's light brightens and as it rushes her, she raises her hand and releases the pure light. It rips outwards, a ball of  _pureness_ that spreads and consumes all darkness that dares to stand against it.

     Ganon  _screams_ and recoils, doing its best to escape, but the ball of light is far too much for its weakened form. The light eats away the corruption and sucks the head into it, then seals itself away and vanishes into nothing. 

     The dark clouds that had been hanging heavily over the land fade into nothing, blue sky coming through once more and the sun shining just as bright as ever. Zelda turns to face him, beaming like a star. “You did it!” she exclaims. “I always believed—no, I  _knew_ you could. Tell me, Link. Do you really remember me?”

     Link smiles at her and nods, idly fixing the braids in his hair, and she immediately pulls him into a hug.

(It's done. Done and over with and he can go back to admiring Revali and Sidon from afar.

They're together already and he doesn't need to get in between them.

Right?)

 


End file.
